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Recently, low-dimensional organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides have attracted considerable attention in solid-state optical application fields, especially in white-light emitting diodes (WLEDs) owing to intrinsic broadband luminescence performances. Herein, by selecting different types of organic cations as a structural decoration strategy, we designed a series of new 1D hybrid halides of A2Pb3Br10 (A = NPM, DMPDA, TMEN) based on same [Pb3Br10]4− chains composed of edge-shared [Pb3Br12]6− trimers. The low-dimensional crystal lattice results in the formation of self-trapped excitons, which leads to broadband light emissions covering the entire visible region for all A2Pb3Br10 homologues. Specifically, compound 1 exhibits yellowish-white light emission (0.34, 0.45) with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 2.51%. Both compounds 2 and 3 show bluish-white light emissions centered at 438 nm and 440 nm, respectively, with high color rendering index (CRI) of 96, which belongs to one of the highest values to date. The intrinsic broadband white light emissions enable them as promising candidates for single-component white-light emitting materials.

Adiponectin stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), a major regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA) is a biologically active mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by mitochondrial DNA. It influences the mechanisms of obesity and diabetes. We hypothesised that the adiponectin pathway may regulate the production and/or secretion of MOTS-c in skeletal muscle. We aimed to determine whether exercise and adiponectin affect MOTS-c to improve insulin resistance in mice. To investigate this hypothesis, we used wild-type C57BL/6 mice subjected to high-fat diet, an exercise regimen, and i.p. injection of recombinant mouse adiponectin (Acrp30) or MOTS-c, and adiponectin knockout (Adipoq−/−) mice (C57BL/6 background) subjected to i.p. injection of Acrp30. C2C12 myotubes were also treated with sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) inhibitor, PGC-1α inhibitor, SIRT1 activator, plasmid-expressed active APPL1 (adaptor protein, phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper), pcDNA-SIRT1, or siRNA against APPL1, SIRT1 or PGC-1α. In Adipoq–/– mice, MOTS-c levels in the plasma and skeletal muscle were downregulated. In C2C12 myotubes, adiponectin increased the mRNA expression of MOTS-c. APPL1 protein level following adiponectin treatment positively correlated with MOTS-c protein and mRNA levels in C2C12 myotubes. SIRT1 overexpression increased the adiponectin-induced mRNA and protein expression of MOTS-c, SIRT1 and PGC-1α. Pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of PGC-1α suppressed the increases in MOTS-c mRNA and protein levels induced by SIRT1 overexpression. In mice, plasma and skeletal muscle MOTS-c levels were significantly downregulated following high-fat-diet. Exercise and i.p. Acrp30 or MOTS-c increased MOTS-c levels and adiponectin mRNA and protein expression in the plasma and skeletal muscle. Our findings showed that the APPL1–SIRT1–PGC-1α pathway regulates the production and/or secretion of skeletal muscle MOTS-c by mediating adiponectin signalling. Our study provides an insight into the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the pathogenesis of diabetes and shows that MOTS-c is a potential novel therapeutic target in the treatment of diabetes.

In this paper, the adsorption of copper ions on the prepared multilayer diazo resin-graphene oxide/polyacrylonitrile composite membranes was studied, and the adsorption capacity of GO modified poly...

A Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed [3 + 3] cycloaddition of 2,2′-diester aziridines with β-(indol-2-yl)-α,β-unsaturated ketones was developed, affording polysubstituted tetrahydro-γ-carbolines in single diastereoisomers in good to excellent yields.

The thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms of Taixi anthracite during its graphitization process were explored. To understand the variation trends of carbon arrangement order, microcrystal size, and graphitization degree against temperature during the graphitization process, a series of experiments were performed using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Subsequently, the influencing factors of the dominant reaction at different temperatures were analyzed using thermodynamics and kinetics. The results showed that the graphitization process of Taixi anthracite can be divided into three stages from the perspective of reaction thermodynamics and kinetics. Temperature played a crucial role in the formation and growth of a graphitic structure. Meanwhile, multivariate mechanisms coexisted in the graphitization process. At ultrahigh temperatures, the defects of synthetic graphite could not be completely eliminated and perfect graphite crystals could not be produced. At low temperatures, the reaction is mainly controlled by dynamics, while at high temperatures, thermodynamics dominates the direction of the reaction.

In this work, a target-induced signal quencher release strategy was proposed to construct a sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor. To achieve this, Cu nanoclusters (NCs) featuring outstanding chemical performance were introduced and then pickled with acid to generate Cu2+ signal quenchers to quench the photocurrent response. Moreover, the three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical seaweed-like TiO2 nanomaterial (HSTN) was prepared for the first time and served as the electron transporting material, which could provide the highly efficient pathways for the transfer of photoinduced electrons. Meanwhile, in order to extend the light response to the visible range, narrow band gap CdS quantum dots (QDs) were employed to form a HSTN/CdS heterojunction. In addition, magnetic bead (MB) modified PSA aptamer (MB-Apt) was used as the auxiliary structure which could combine with DNA-Cu NCs through specific recognition. When the target PSA was found, the MB-Apt would bond with PSA due to the relatively large interaction force, triggering the release of Cu NCs. With the aid of acid, the Cu NCs could be converted to Cu2+ and then react with CdS to form CuxS, decreasing the photocurrent signal. Consequently, the concentration of PSA could be accurately detected through monitoring the change of photocurrent. This work provides an ingenious idea for the fabrication of highly sensitive PEC sensors.

Bin Ren,1,2,* Zhong-Chao Cai,1,* Xue-Jie Zhao,1 Lin-Song Li,1 Mei-Xia Zhao1 1Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immuno-Engineering of Henan Province, Henan University, Jinming Campus, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Mathematics and Statistics, Henan University, Jinming Campus, Kaifeng, 475004, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mei-Xia ZhaoKey Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering of Henan Province, Henan University, Jinming Campus, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhaomeixia2011@henu.edu.cnPurpose: Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with good physical and biological properties are often used in medicine, diagnostics, food, and similar industries. This paper explored an AuNPs drug delivery system that had good target selectivity for folate-receptor overexpressing cells to induce apoptosis.Methods: A novel drug delivery system, Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX, was developed carrying paclitaxel (PTX) on folic acid (FA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified AuNPs. The nanomaterial was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Also, the biological activity of the AuNPs drug delivery system was examined using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in HL-7702, Hela, SMMC-7721, and HCT-116 cells. Furthermore, apoptotic activity using annexin V-FITC, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was estimated by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.Results: Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX exhibited a distinct core-shell structure with a controllable size of 28± 1 nm. Also, the AuNPs maintained good dispersion and spherical shape uniformity before and after modification. The MTT assay revealed good antitumor activity of the Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX against the Hela, SMMC-7721, and HCT-116 cells, while Au@MPA-PEG-FA-PTX produced better pharmacological effects than PTX in isolation. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that effective internalization of AuNPs by folate-receptor overexpressing cancer cells induced cell apoptosis through excessive production of intracellular ROS.Conclusion: The AuNPs drug delivery system showed good target selectivity for folate-receptor overexpressing cancer cells to induce target cell-specific apoptosis. These AuNPs may have great potential as theranostic agents such as in cancer.Keywords: gold nanoparticles, folic acid, paclitaxel, drug delivery system, apoptosis

The release of drugs in the brain is a challenge due to the blood–brain barrier, but intranasal administration of hydrogels enables the continuous release and quick targeting of drugs into the brain. The aim of this study was to prepare a genipin/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex thermosensitive hydrogel system (genipin-THS) and evaluate its antidepressant effects. The genipin-THS was constructed using the cold method and was further optimized based on the results of gelation temperature and in vitro drug release. In the in vivo experiment, the genipin-THS significantly reduced the immobility time of mice displaying behavioral despair, decreased the ptosis score and increased the change in the body temperature of mice induced by reserpine, and improved abnormal levels of neurotransmitters (including 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine) in brain. In addition, the intranasally administered genipin-THS increased the bioavailability of the drug in the hippocampus, and the fluorescence distribution also showed that the thermosensitive hydrogel continuously released the drug for a longer time. In summary, the intranasally administered genipin-THS improved the bioavailability of genipin in the brain, increased its brain targeting, and further enhanced its antidepressant effects on depressive disorder.

Adiponectin is an important adipocytokine and plays the roles in multiple metabolic processes via binding its receptors - AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, which has also been found to participate in the regulation of the reproductive system of animals, in particular by influencing the secretion of ovarian steroid hormones. To further investigate the expression of adiponectin and its receptors in follicles after in vitro incubation, and their role in the steroid synthesis of laying hens’ ovaries, we performed qRT-PCR and ELISA to detect the expressions of AdipoQ, AdipoR1, and AidpoR2, and determined the key genes involved in steroidogenesis and the secretion of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) through the in vitro activation of adiponectin (AipoRon) and overexpression or knockdown of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2. Our results revealed that adiponectin and its receptors wildly exist in follicles and granulosa cells, and AdipoRon (5 and 10 µg/mL) had no effect on granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis but significantly stimulated the secretion of adiponectin and its receptors in granulosa cells after incubation for 24 h. Furthermore, AdipoRon could significantly stimulate the secretion of P4 and inhibit E2 level compared to those of the control group through modulating the key genes expression of steroidogenesis (CYP19A1, StAR, CYP11A1, FSHR, and LHR). The secretion of E2 was also decreased in granulosa cells by the treatments of overexpression and knockdown of AdipoR1/2, however, there was no difference in terms of the level of P4 and StAR expression between them if there was overexpression or knockdown of AdipoR1/2. In addition, it was shown that the secretion of E2 only exhibits a marked drop if co-processing 10 µg/mL AdipoRon and pGMLV AdipoR2 compared to single treatments. Taken together, the study highlighted the role of adiponectin and its receptors in the regulation of steroid synthesis and secretion in ovarian granulosa cells in laying hens.

Yam is a common ‘medicine food homology’ vegetable in Asia, and its peel is often considered a food residue during processing or cooking. In this work, the effects of hydrogen peroxide modification on the dietary fibres (DFs) from Chinese yam peel (CYP) were investigated. The structural characteristics of soluble dietary fibre (SDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF), modified soluble dietary fibre (MSDF) and modified insoluble dietary fibre (MIDF) were analysed using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, granularity analysis, scanning electron microscopy and GC‐MS (monosaccharide composition). As results, after modification with hydrogen peroxide, the sizes of the DFs were reduced and MIDF exposed more cellulose. Experiments on the physicochemical and functional properties of DFs showed that MSDF and MIDF obtained a better water holding capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and absorption abilities with altered structures, which is of great importance in food processing and development.

Herein, synthetic graphite materials with hierarchical pores and large specific surface area were successfully prepared by one-step impregnation with lignite as the carbon source, sulfuric acid (H2SO4) as the oxidant, and phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as the activator. The microstructural characteristics of synthetic graphite were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, the pore parameters were studied by nitrogen adsorption–desorption. The results showed that synthetic graphite had a perfect orderly layered structure with high graphitization degree and a well-developed multistage pore structure with pore sizes ranging from nanometer to micrometer. The specific surface area and pore volume were 415.29 m2 g−1 and 0.67 cm3 g−1, respectively. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the impregnation pretreatment provided polar groups containing oxygen to the surfaces. These unique characteristics make synthetic graphite possess good adsorption capacity for dye pollutants (the adsorption rate of the methyl orange solution was 99.9% within 60 min at 50 °C, and the pH value of the solution was 3). The effects of temperature and pH value on the adsorption capacity were studied. The repeatability of the adsorption performance was also tested, and the adsorption rate was 84.6% of the initial adsorption rate after five cycles.

The availability of high-temperature dielectrics is key to develop advanced electronics and power systems that operate under extreme environmental conditions. In the past few years, many improvements have been made and many exciting developments have taken place. However, currently available candidate materials and methods still do not meet the applicable standards. Polyimide (PI) was found to be the preferred choice for high-temperature dielectric films development due to its thermal stability, dielectric properties, and flexibility. However, it has disadvantages such as a relatively low dielectric permittivity. This chapter presents an overview of recent progress on PI dielectric materials for high-temperature capacitive energy storage applications. In this way, a new molecular design of the skeleton structure of PI should be performed to balance size and thermal stability and to optimize energy storage property for high-temperature application. The improved performance can be generated via incorporation of inorganic units into polymers to form organic-inorganic hybrid and composite structures.

Functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been successfully used in many fields as a result of having low cytotoxicity, good biocompatibility, excellent optical properties, and their ability to target cancer cells. Here, we synthesized AuNP carriers that were modified by hyaluronic acid (HA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and adipic dihydrazide (ADH). The antitumor drug doxorubicin (Dox) was loaded into AuNP carriers and attached chemically. The Au nanocomposite AuNPs@MPA-PEG-HA-ADH-Dox was able to disperse uniformly in aqueous solution, with a diameter of 15 nm. The results of a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay indicated that AuNP carriers displayed very little toxicity toward cells in high doses, although the antitumor properties of Au nanocomposites were significantly enhanced. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that AuNPs modified with hyaluronic acid were more readily ingested by HepG2 and HCT-116 cells, as they have a large number of CD44 receptors. A series of experiments measuring apoptosis such as Rh123 and annexin V-FITC staining, and analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) analysis, indicated that apoptosis played a role in the inhibition of cell proliferation by AuNPs@MPA-PEG-HA-ADH-Dox. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was the principal mechanism by which the Au nanocomposites inhibited cell proliferation, leading to apoptosis. Thus, the Au nanocomposites, which allowed cell imaging in real-time and induced apoptosis in specific cell types, represent theragnostic agents with potential for future clinical applications in bowel cancer.

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiologic agent of COVID-19, which has led to a dramatic loss of human life and presents an unprecedented challenge to public health worldwide. The gold standard assay for SARS-CoV-2 identification is real-time polymerase chain reaction; however, this assay depends on highly trained personnel and sophisticated equipment and may suffer from false results. Thus, a serological antibody test is a supplement to the diagnosis or screening of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we develop and evaluate the diagnostic performance of an IgM/IgG indirect ELISA method for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19. The ELISA was constructed by coating with a recombinant nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 on an enzyme immunoassay plate, and its sensitivity and specificity for clinical diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was assessed by detecting the SARS-CoV-2-specific IgM and IgG antibodies in COVID-19 patient's sera or healthy person's sera. The SARS-CoV-2 positive serum samples (n = 168) were collected from confirmed COVID-19 patients. A commercial nucleocapsid protein-based chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) kit and a colloidal gold immunochromatography kit were compared with those of the ELISA assay. The specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of IgM were 100, 95.24, 100, and 91.84%, whereas those of IgG were 100, 97.02, 100, and 94.74%, respectively. We developed a highly sensitive and specific SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein-based ELISA method for the diagnosis and epidemiologic investigation of COVID-19 by SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibody detection.

Turnip (Brassica rapa L.) is widely consumed as a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine with high dietary fiber content. Soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) were obtained from white turnips, and the IDF was modified with alkaline hydrogen peroxide to obtain modified IDF (MIDF) and modified SDF (MSDF). The compositional, structural, and functional properties of the four samples were investigated. After modification, the modified dietary fibers (MDFs) showed smaller particle sizes and lower contents of pectin and polyphenol than those of unmodified dietary fibers (DFs) The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that compared to the DFs, the MDFs were smaller and had more exposed hydroxyl groups. Analysis of the microrheological behaviors showed that the MDFs had higher viscosity than that of the DFs, with a looser structure for the MSDF and a stable structure for the MIDF. Therefore, due to structural changes, the physical and functional properties of the MDFs were improved compared to those of the unmodified DFs. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the particle size was positively correlated with the pectin content. The water holding capacity (WHC), oil adsorption capacity (OAC) and water swelling capacity (WSC) showed positive correlations with each other. This work indicated that white turnip could be a potential new source of DFs, which presented desirable functional properties after modification.

As one of the most severe environmental stresses, salt stress can cause a series of changes in plants. In salt tolerant plant Zoysia macrostachya, germination, physiology, and genetic variation under salinity have been studied previously, and the morphology and distribution of salt glands have been clarified. However, no study has investigated the transcriptome of such species under salt stress. In the present study, we compared transcriptome of Z. macrostachya under normal conditions and salt stress (300 mmol/L NaCl, 24 h) aimed to identify transcriptome responses and molecular mechanisms under salt stress in Z. macrostachya. A total of 8703 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 4903 up-regulated and 3800 down-regulated ones. Moreover, a series of molecular processes were identified by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and these processes were suggested to be closely related to salt tolerance in Z. macrostachya. The identified DEGs concentrated on regulating plant growth via plant hormone signal transduction, maintaining ion homeostasis via salt secretion and osmoregulatory substance accumulation and preventing oxidative damage via increasing the activity of ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavenging system. These changes may be the most important responses of Z. macrostachya under salt stress. Some key genes related to salt stress were identified meanwhile. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms and genetic underpinnings of salt tolerance in Z. macrostachya.

The insects have different physiological and morphological characteristics in various developmental stages. The difference in the characteristics may be related to the different sensitivity of insects to insecticides. In avermectin resistant strain screening assay, we found that the Drosophila larvae displayed a higher sensitivity to the insecticidal effect of avermectin, compared with adults. In this study, we found that the Drosophila larvae have relatively thicker chitin layer, faster avermectin metabolism and lower P-glycoprotein (P-gp) level, when compared with the adults. Besides, the expression levels of the molecular targets of avermectin, glutamate-gated chloride channel and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated chloride channel, are lower in the larval stage than the adult. These results suggested that lower P-gp level in the body especially in brain may be the major reason for the higher sensitivity of Drosophila larvae to the insecticide. In summary, these results shed new light on the concept that different developmental stages of insects display different sensitivity to the same insecticide, which also provided a physiological explanation of the relevant mechanism of the difference of sensitivity of insect at its larval and adult stages to insecticide.

A bidirectional modulation of photoinduced charge carrier separation strategy based on TiO2/Bi4NbO8Cl/Co-Pi was proposed in microfluidic paper based photoelectrochemical analytical device (μ-POAD). Perovskite Bi4NbO8Cl with high charge carrier mobility was employed as visible light absorber, sandwiching between electron transporting material (ETM) and hole transporting material (HTM). Paper based TiO2 nanosheet arrays (PTNAs) serve as the ETM to provide a direct pathway for electron transport and Co-Pi works as the HTM to extract holes. Driven by a built-in electric field, the generated electrons of Bi4NbO8Cl are extracted by PTNAs, while holes are drawn toward Co-Pi, achieving efficient carrier separation. Remarkably, it is the first time that the HTM was introduced into μ-POAD to efficiently output holes and enhance the sensitivity. With the aid of ETM and HTM, 2.59 and 14.6 times higher photocurrent density was obtained compared with PTNAs/Bi4NbO8Cl and Bi4NbO8Cl photoelectrode, respectively. Benefitin...

As a typical halophyte living in saline environments, Atriplex centralasiatica sequesters excess salt away via metabolically active epidermal bladder cells to prevent salt damage. In the present study, we aimed to screen genes involved in salt excretion, osmotic adjustment and transcriptional regulation in A. centralasiatica leaves by high-throughput RNA sequencing. A. centralasiatica were treated with 300 mM NaCl for 7 days. We found that the volume of bulliform cells of salt bladders was significantly increased, and Na/Cl were accumulated on the surface of salt bladders. Moreover, RNA sequencing revealed that 9144 unigenes were differentially expressed, including 3819 up-regulated unigenes and 5325 down-regulated ones. The gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that several groups of genes were significantly up-regulated under NaCl salt stress, which were associated with ion transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent signaling pathway and transcription factors. The excessive Na+ and Cl− were conveyed into the huge central vacuole by highly expressed sodium/potassium transporters (such as HKT1 and CNGC14). Several candidate genes of ABA-dependent stomatal movements (such as ABI1 and OST1), photosynthesis (such as NPQ2) and ROS (such as TAU 25) pathways were predicted to reduce salt stress-induced damage. Collectively, these above-mentioned results offered valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the responses of recretohalophyte A. centralasiatica to salt stress.

Piroxicam (PRX) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The thermal decomposition process of PRX was investigated with thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The gaseous products generated by thermal decomposition were characterized with thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The residues of the thermal decomposition at various temperatures were identified with infrared spectroscopy. The molecular bond orders were calculated using an ab initio method from the GAMESS program of quantum chemistry. The mechanism of thermal decomposition for PRX was discussed. The results indicated that the thermal decomposition of PRX is a two-stage process with the initial temperature of 198 °C either in nitrogen or air atmospheres. The thermal decompositions of the first stage in two atmospheres are the same process. The main part of the molecule, including sulfamide, amide, benzene ring and pyridine ring, decompose simultaneously and to form gasifiable small molecules and carbonaceous residue in the first stage. The second stage in nitrogen is a slow thermal pyrolysis process of carbonaceous residue. The forepart of the second stage in air is a slow thermal pyrolysis process as like as in nitrogen, and the later period of the second stage is an oxidation (combustion) reaction process of carbonaceous residue. PRX is stable under ambient temperature and air atmosphere, and it can be preserved for long-term storage under ambient temperature and in air atmosphere.

Gemcitabine (GTB) is a nucleoside drug used in chemotherapy for various carcinomas. In order to know why does GTB have good thermal stability, and to further understand the relationship between thermal stability and molecular structure. The thermal decomposition of GTB was measured with various thermal analytical techniques, the gaseous products and the residues of thermal decomposition were determined and identified. The molecular bond orders were calculated. The thermal decomposition mechanism of GTB was discussed. The thermal decomposition kinetics and the prospective lifetime of GTB were studied using the ATSM method. The results indicated that two strong electronegative fluorine atoms on furan ring make the strong charge-transfer (CT) structure to be formed, this strong CT structure remarkably enhance the N-glycosidic bond and the weakest bond, and lead to higher thermal stability and distinctive thermal decomposition mechanism. The thermal decomposition of GTB is a three-stage process. The initial step of decomposition is likely due to the loss of a furan ring. Most of GTB decompose and carbonizes directly to form insoluble substance and small molecules and just part of GTB decompose by way of cytosine stage. The initial decomposition temperature in either nitrogen or air is 235 °C. For decomposition in nitrogen, the apparent activation energy Ea and pre-exponential factor A for the initial thermal decomposition are 123.4 kJ mol−1 and 3.80 × 1010 min−1, respectively. For decomposition in air, the corresponding Ea and A are 126.3 kJ mol−1 and 7.94 × 1010 min−1, respectively. GTB has very good thermal stability under routine temperature and dry air atmosphere.

On the basis of our previous experimental results, the ring-opening hydrolysis reaction mechanisms of two kinds of N-alkylmaleimide dimers without or with the assistance of one and two water molecules have been theoretically investigated in detail. All possible geometries were optimized using the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d) method in the gas phase and ethanol solution. Calculated results show that every pathway is a four-step hydrolytic degradation process and every step could occur in a concerted way, instead of previously suggested asynchronous stepwise mechanism. Extra H2O or ethanol could act as carriers of proton. The results are consistent with experimental observations.

As the miniaturization of electronic appliances and microprocessors progresses, low-permittivity interlayer materials are becoming increasingly important for their suppression of electronic crosstalk, signal propagation delay and loss, and so forth. Herein, a kind of copolyimide (CPI) film with a “fluorene” rigid conjugated structure was prepared successfully. By introducing 9,9-Bis(3-fluoro-4-aminophenyl) fluorene as the rigid conjugated structure monomer, a series of CPI films with different molecular weights were fabricated by in situ polymerization, which not only achieved the reduction of permittivity but also maintained excellent thermodynamic stability. Moreover, the hydrophobicity of the CPI film was also improved with the increasing conjugated structure fraction. The lowest permittivity reached 2.53 at 106 Hz, while the thermal decomposition temperature (Td5%) was up to 530 °C, and the tensile strength was ≥ 96 MPa. Thus, the CPI films are potential dielectric materials for microelectronic and insulation applications.

The genomic and metabolic features of non-Saccharomyces yeast Nakazawaea ishiwadae GDMCC 60786 were investigated using its genome and by analyzing the metabolites of carbon source fermentation. N. ishiwadae GDMCC 60786, which showed resistant to environmental stresses (ethanol, SO2, pH, and NaCl) and a high ethyl acetate-production ability, was classified into the Nakazawaea genus based on the 26S rRNA gene. Complete genome sequences of the strain were obtained using the PacBio single-molecule real-time sequencing platform. The genome size was about 12,088,154 bp with 33.69% GC content. Key enzymes of glycolytic and pyruvate metabolism were identified by genes function annotation. KEGG analysis revealed that this strain possesses phosphoglucomutase, phosphofructokinase, phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, pyruvate decarboxylase, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, combined with fermentation data on various carbon sources (e.g., glucose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose) and different amounts of ethanol and acetic acid, it was found that monosaccharides were more suitable as the carbon source of this strain to produce ethyl acetate. Compared with the control group, 4% (v/v) ethanol was used as supplementary carbon source, the content of ethyl acetate was increased 4 times.

Insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) were extracted from purple turnip (Brassica rapa L.). IDF was modified with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) or enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) to obtain modified IDF (A-IDF and E-IDF) and modified SDF (A-SDF and E-SDF). The composition and physicochemical properties of the samples were investigated using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and DSC. Both modification methods improved the hydration properties, microrheological properties, and in vitro cholesterol adsorption capacities (CACs) of the samples. Specifically, AHP greatly improved the water retention capacity (WRC), water swelling property (WSC) and oil holding capacity (OHC) of the IDF. The effects of EH on the yield, WRC, OHC and CAC of the SDF were more significant than those of EH on IDF properties. Principal component analysis (PCA), clustering heatmap and correlation heatmap revealed that a significant negative correlation was found between OHC, CAC and particle size, and pectin content presented a positive correlation with crystallinity. In summary, EH was considered to be the ideal modification method to enhance the functional characteristics of dietary fiber from purple turnip, and E-SDF showed better application potential than A-SDF.

The thermal decomposition of famciclovir (FCV) was measured with thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The IR spectra, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry of FCV and the residues of its thermal decomposition at various temperatures were determined. The molecular bond orders were calculated using an ab initio method from the GAMESS program of quantum chemistry. The mechanism of thermal decomposition for FCV was discussed. The kinetic parameters for thermal decomposition such as activation energy E a and the pre-exponential factor A were obtained using the Ozawa method. The prospective lifetime of FCV was estimated using the Dakin equation. The results indicated that the thermal decomposition of FCV is a two-step process. The initial decomposition temperature in either nitrogen or air is about 205 °C. The decomposition of FCV does not go through 2-amino-purine stage, 2-amino-purine, and alkane chain segment both decompose simultaneously during the first stage. For decomposition in nitrogen, the E a and A for the initial thermal decomposition are 107.8 kJ mol−1 and 2.19 × 109 min−1, respectively. For decomposition in air, the corresponding E a and A are 96.4 kJ mol−1 and 1.45 × 108 min−1, respectively. The FCV has good thermal stability under routine temperature.

A novel and potentially active dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor, namely 3-({(E)-[(E)-1-(biphenyl-4-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinylidene}methyl)-1H-indole (BEHI) acetonitrile disolvate, C23H19N3·2CH3CN, has been designed and synthesized. The structure of BEHI was characterized by elemental analysis, Q-TOF (quadrupole time-of-flight) MS, NMR, UV–Vis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The antitumour activity of the target molecule was evaluated by the MTT method. Results indicated that BEHI exhibited rather potent cytotoxic activity against human A549 (IC50= 20.5 µM) and mouse breast 4T1(IC50= 18.5 µM) cancer cell lines. Meanwhile, to rationalize its potencies in the target, BEHI was docked into DHODH and the interactions with the active site residues were analyzed. Single-crystal structure analysis indicated that hydrogen bonds are present only between BEHI and acetonitrile solvent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The interplay of weak π–π stacking and weak C(N)—H...π interactions between neighbouring BEHI molecules play crucial roles in the formation of the final supramolecular frameworks.

Two families of bis(imido) symmetrical Schiff bases based on 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and thiophene-2-carbaldehyde linked by three lengths of alkyl groups (propane → butane → dodecane) have been prepared and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, Q-TOF mass spectroscopy, IR and elemental analysis. The structures and conformations of four of them have been established by X-ray single-crystal diffraction analysis. It is interesting that different linking groups and different conformations hardly have effect on several properties. For example, they have nearly the same melting points, the same UV–Vis absorption spectra and the same fluorescence emission spectra. Spectral interpretations were guided by time-dependent DFT calculated transition energies and oscillator strengths, which agree well with the experimental UV–Vis spectra. TD-DFT calculations reveal that they share nearly the same transition mechanism, i. e. both bands are largely originated from the π → π* transitions and have little or nothing to do with the alkyl bridge. However, there are also important differences based on the identity of the terminal groups. For example, similar dimers 1 and 2 crystallize in very different space groups P43212 (No. 96) and P21/n (No. 14), and another set of similar dimers 4 and 5 crystallize in P21/n (No. 14) and P212121 (No. 16), respectively. This illustrates the flexible nature of these dimers in forming a variety of different packing motifs. The results of this research suggest that the rational design and prediction of crystal structures are more difficult than optical properties, even though similar weak interactions can be controlled in assembling the molecules.

In this manuscript, we report the synthesis, NMR and single-crystal structures of three propylene linking dimers related with the hydrolytic degradation of one 5,6-dehydronorcantharimide dimer. Special attention was paid to the conformation of propylene linkers in order to understand their changes in the reaction. Statistical analysis of CSD database revealed that a-a, g-a and g-g conformations may have similar stability in most cases and various complicated unpredictable non-covalent interactions may play important role in the formation of final rotamers. In order to reproduce all stable conformations and the energy barriers separating them, full range two-dimensional fully relaxed potential-energy surfaces (PES) scans of six ‘propylene linker’ dimers were calculated starting from the most stable crystal structures. The PES were scanned along both bridge C C single bond torsional angles (denoted as θ1 and θ2), while all other internal coordinates were optimized at the DFT/B3LYP/3-21G* level in gas phase. Then all energy minima were re-optimized again at the DFT/B3LYP/6-311 + G(d,p) level both in gas and ethanol solutions in order to evaluate the really stable rotamers. At last, 1D or 2D relaxed PES scans were performed between local stable rotamers to get reliable energy barriers. This method represents a less time-consuming and more reliable approach to the determination of conformational stability of propanediyl bridging chains. The combination of experimental, statistical and theoretical results shows that the observed conformation is jointly determined by the energy levels of the minima, energy barriers separating them, non-covalent interactions and somewhat randomness.

This work described that one–step synthesis three dimensional anatase hierarchically cactus–like TiO 2 arrays (AHCT) and their application in constructing a novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) and visualized sensing platform based on molecular imprinting technique, which reports its result with the prussian blue (PB) electrode served as the electrochromic indicator for the detection of glycoprotein (RNase B). The AHCT arrays were perpendicularly grown on FTO substrate with tunable sizes, offering many advantages, such as large contact area, rapid charge electron separation and transport. A possible formation process of the interesting AHCT arrays has been investigated based on time–dependent experiment. In addition, the PEC and visualized sensing platform was constructed based on the molecularly imprinted polymer modified AHCT arrays. Specifically, in the proposed system, the more RNase B being, the more insulating layer was formed on the surface of AHCT arrays that impeded the harvesting of light and electron transfer, resulting in the reduction of photocurrent. When upon light illumination, the photogenerated electrons flow through an external circuit to PB, leading to the reduction of PB to prussian white (PW), which is transparent. The rate of decolourization of PB is proportional to the concentration of RNase B. In this way, a visualized PEC sensing platform that gives its quantitative information could be performed by monitoring the change of color intensity. Under optimal conditions, the protocol possessed a detection range of 0.5 pM to 2 μM (r=0.997) and the limit of detection was 0.12 pM toward RNase B. Our method eliminates the need for sophisticated instruments and high detection expenses, making it possible to be a reliable alternative in resource–constrained regions.

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are members of the lipid binding protein superfamily and play crucial role in fatty acid transport and lipid metabolism. In macrophages, Adipocyte-type FABP is an important mediator of inflammation. However, the immune functions of FABPs in invertebrates are not well understood; here, we obtained the gene structure of Eriocheir sinensis FABP 3 and FABP 9 (EsFABP 3 and EsFABP 9), and compared with EsFABP 10. The mRNA expression profiles show that all three FABPs were significantly up-regulated in hemocytes after being challenged with bacteria. Of the three, EsFABP 3 was the most stable and also the most highly up-regulated. Further studies showed that knockdown of EsFABP 3 led to higher bacterial counts in the hemocyte culture medium and a significant decrease in the mRNA expression of some antimicrobial peptides following bacterial stimulation. Moreover, a subcellular study demonstrated that EsFABP 3 can affect nuclear translocation of the dorsal after Gram-positive bacterial stimulation in hemocytes. These findings support the notion that EsFABP 3 could inhibit bacterial proliferation by regulating antimicrobial peptides expression via the Toll signaling pathway.

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common female malignancies, and there is an urgent requirement to explore new therapeutic strategies. In the present study, Ishikawa H cells were treated with Momordica charantia protein (MCP30). The cell morphology, growth inhibition rate, cell cycle distribution, and expression of phosphate and tensin homolog, P-AKT and AKT were measured. DNA fragmentation analysis and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining assay were used to analyze cell apoptosis. MCP30 decreased the viability of Ishikawa H cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The early apoptotic rates of Ishikawa H cells treated with MCP30 at 666.67 pM reached to 16.07±0.15%, following 72 h of treatment. DNA ladder was observed in cells treated with 333.33 and 666.67 pM MCP30 following 72 h of treatment. MCP30 blocks Ishikawa H cells from progressing between the S-phase and the G2/M-phase in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting revealed that MCP30 treatment decreased the levels of P-AKT in a dose-dependent manner. It was revealed that MCP30 decreases cell proliferation, and induces apoptosis and S-phase cell cycle arrest through the AKT signaling pathway in Ishikawa H cells.

Recently developed hybrid aerogels have attracted a great deal of attention due to their promising applications in artificial intelligence systems and wearable healthcare devices. However, the actual applications of these aerogels in such devices is still limited because most nanowire (NW) skeletons in hybrid aerogels are usually based on noble metals, which entail a series of limitations such as high cost and poor resistance to acids. Herein, pressure sensors with high sensitivity (0.38 kPa−1 in the pressure range below 1 kPa) were fabricated from Zn2GeO4@polypyrrole NW aerogels. In addition, a universal wet-chemistry method was developed to prepare Zn2GeO4@polypyrrole NW aerogels with remarkable electrical and mechanical properties, leading to the excellent performance of the pressure sensors. Moreover, the stability of the as-obtained pressure sensors was tested by performing thousands of cycles, concluding that the pressure sensor exhibits long-time efficiency on active utilization. All these advantages make the Zn2GeO4@polypyrrole NW aerogel-based pressure sensor an excellent candidate in many applications for flexible and wearable devices.

The thermal decomposition of sofosbuvir (SOF) was measured with thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The IR spectra, high-performance liquid chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of SOF and the residues of its thermal decomposition at various temperatures were determined. The molecular bond orders were calculated using an ab initio method from the GAMESS program of quantum chemistry. The mechanism of thermal decomposition for SOF was discussed. The kinetic parameters for thermal decomposition such as activation energy Ea and the pre-exponential factor A were obtained using the Ozawa method. The prospective lifetime of SOF was estimated using the Dakin equation. The results indicated that the thermal decomposition of SOF is a two-step process. The first stage of thermal decomposition is mainly the decomposition of phosphate ester moiety. The initial decomposition temperature in either nitrogen or air is about 207 °C. For decomposition in nitrogen, the Ea and A for the initial thermal decomposition are 118.6 kJ mol−1 and 4.365 × 1010 min−1, respectively. For decomposition in air, the corresponding Ea and A are 115.3 kJ mol−1 and 2.042 × 1010 min−1, respectively. The SOF has good thermal stability under routine temperature.

Maleimide groups are used extensively in bioconjugation reactions, but limited mechanistic studies are available regarding their hydrolysis reactions. In this paper, five single-crystal structures related with the reaction of four-step hydrolytic degradation of N,N′-ethylenedimaleimide have been investigated. On the basis of experimental results, the reaction mechanisms without or with water catalysis are proposed, which could provide some enlightenment into the study of similar hydrolytic degradations.

Curcumin, a polyphenol compound extracted from the roots of turmeric plants, possesses anti-depressant effect by regulating the levels of neuroendocrine immunological factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-depressant effect of curcumin through nasal delivery. The results of phase solubility, Fourier transform infrared spectra, Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffractometry and 1H NMR spectra assays showed that curcumin/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin complex had been obtained. The viscosity of hydrogel increased rapidly at the temperature range of 29-30 °C through the test of rheological property of Guanidine-Chitosan thermo-sensitive hydrogel. And the hydrogel had good mucoadhesion properties. The cumulative release rate of curcumin was 55% in 10 hours in vitro drug release test. Curcumin-loaded (14.6, 29.2 or 58.4 μg/kg) thermo-sensitive hydrogel could reduce the immobility time of mice in force swimming test and tail suspension test, while could not increase the independent behavioral activity of mice. In addition, curcumin-loaded (14.6, 29.2 or 58.4 μg/kg) thermo-sensitive hydrogel could increase the concentration of Norepinephrine, Dopamine, 5-Hydroxytryptamine and their metabolites in hippocampus and striatum. In conclusion, thermo-sensitive hydrogel delivery system can be seen as a promising formulation of curcumin for the treatment of depression through nasal delivery.

BackgroundAbdominal fat is the major adipose tissue in chickens. The growth status of abdominal fat during postnatal late development ultimately affects meat yield and quality in chickens. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Studies have shown that miRNAs play an important role in the biological processes involved in adipose tissue development. However, few studies have investigated miRNA expression profiles and their interaction networks associated with the postnatal late development of abdominal adipose tissue in chickens.ResultsWe constructed four small RNA libraries from abdominal adipose tissue obtained from Chinese domestic Gushi chickens at 6, 14, 22, and 30 weeks. A total of 507 known miRNAs and 53 novel miRNAs were identified based on the four small RNA libraries. Fifty-one significant differentially expressed (SDE) miRNAs were identified from six combinations by comparative analysis, and the expression patterns of these SDE miRNAs were divided into six subclusters by cluster analysis. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the SDE miRNAs were primarily involved in the regulation of fat cell differentiation, regulation of lipid metabolism, regulation of fatty acid metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism in the lipid metabolism- or deposition-related biological process categories. In addition, we constructed differentially expressed miRNA–mRNA interaction networks related to abdominal adipose development. The results showed that miRNA families, such as mir-30, mir-34, mir-199, mir-8, and mir-146, may have key roles in lipid metabolism, adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, and cell junctions during abdominal adipose tissue development in chickens.ConclusionsThis study determined the dynamic miRNA transcriptome and characterized the miRNA–mRNA interaction networks in Gushi chicken abdominal adipose tissue for the first time. The results expanded the number of known miRNAs in abdominal adipose tissue and provide novel insights and a valuable resource to elucidate post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms during postnatal late development of abdominal adipose tissue in chicken.

Alternatively-spliced hypervariable immunoglobulin domain-encoding molecules, called Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam), have been widely detected as components of the arthropod immune system. Although its ability to specifically bind pathogens and enable phagocytosis of bacteria has been elucidated, the signal transduction mechanisms or effectors that activate post-Dscam–binding pathogens remain poorly characterized. Here, we reveal the alternative splicing exons of Dscam's cytoplasmic tail and its isoforms in the hemocytes of crab (Eriocheir sinensis), showing that the expression of Dscam was acutely induced after an immune challenge, which suggested its functioning for innate immunity. Significantly decreased expression levels of antimicrobial molecular peptides (AMPs) were detected in Dscam-silenced crab hemocytes in vitro, which coincided with their vulnerability to infection by Staphylococcus aureus and higher bacterial concentrations occurring in Dscam-silenced crabs in vivo. Further experimental investigation demonstrated that Dscam-regulated AMP expression via the Src homology (SH)3-binding domain in the first constant exon translated protein of the cytoplasmic tail bound with the SH3 domain of the Dock, an SH3/SH2 adaptor protein required for axon guidance. Dock promoted extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation via indirect binding and then regulated dorsal phosphorylation and translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, subsequently promoting AMP expression for the effective removal of bacteria. To the best of our knowledge, this comprehensive study is the first to highlight the critical role of the alternatively-spliced Dscam cytoplasmic tail in antimicrobial control activity. It also suggests possible cross-talk occurring between Dscam and other pattern recognition receptors.

Structural and theoretical studies of four novel 5,6-dehydronorcantharidine (DNCA)/norcantharidine (NCA) derivatives, namely (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)-2-phenyl-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-epoxy-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, C14H11NO3(DNCA-A), (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-epoxy-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, C14H10N2O5(DNCA-NA), (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)-2-(4-nitrophenyl)-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-4,7-epoxyisoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, C14H12N2O5(NCA-NA), and (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)-2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-1H-4,7-epoxyisoindole-1,3(2H)-dione, C10H13NO4(NCA-AE), are reported. The supramolecular interactions and single-crystal structural characteristics of these molecules, together with the crystal structures of four other similar molecules,i.e.NCA-A(the 4-phenyl derivative ofNCA-NA),DNCA-AE(the 5,6-unsaturated derivative ofNCA-AE),DNCAandNCA, were analysed. Surprisingly,DNCA-AandNCA-A, as well asDNCA–NAandNCA-NA, proved to be isomorphic, whileDNCA-AEandNCA-AE, as well asDNCAandNCA, have very different crystal structures. These are very rare isostructural examples between unsaturated and saturated oxanorbornene/oxanorbornane derivatives. To further explore how noncovalent interactions (NCIs) affect the degree of isomorphism in this particular series of rigid molecules where there is a fairly limited conformational degree of freedom, all four pairs of crystal structures were analyzed in parallel. The differentiation in NCIs which entails the packing mode of similar molecules is supported by energy calculations based on real or exchanged crystal structures. Our results show that minor structural differences may result in very different supramolecular interactions, and so lead to altered packing modes in the crystalline solids. Even if isostructurality sometimes occurs, the possibility of various molecular packing types cannot be ruled out. On the other hand, isomorphism may just be the result of kinetic possibilities instead of relative thermodynamic stabilities. Though crystal structure prediction is formidable, the comparison method based on existing crystal structures and quantum calculations can be used to predict the probability of isomorphism. This understanding will help us to design new norbornene derivatives with specified structures.

Eight novel Schiff bases derived from benzil dihydrazone (BDH) or benzil monohydrazone (BMH) and four fused-ring carbonyl compounds (3-formylindole, FI; 3-acetylindole, AI; 3-formyl-1-methylindole, MFI; 1-formylnaphthalene, FN) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI–QTOF–MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction. They are (1Z,2Z)-1,2-bis{(E)-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethane (BDHFI), C32H24N6, (1Z,2Z)-1,2-bis{(E)-[1-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethane (BDHAI), C34H28N6, (1Z,2Z)-1,2-bis{(E)-[(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethane (BMHMFI) acetonitrile hemisolvate, C34H28N6·0.5CH3CN, (1Z,2Z)-1,2-bis{(E)-[(naphthalen-1-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethane (BDHFN), C36H26N4, (Z)-2-{(E)-[(1H-indol-3-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethanone (BMHFI), C23H17N3O, (Z)-2-{(E)-[1-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethanone (BMHAI), C24H19N3O, (Z)-2-{(E)-[(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethanone (BMHMFI), C24H19N3O, and (Z)-2-{(E)-[(naphthalen-1-yl)methylidene]hydrazinylidene}-1,2-diphenylethanone (BMHFN) C25H18N2O. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the eight title compounds was evaluated against two tumour cell lines (A549 human lung cancer and 4T1 mouse breast cancer) and two normal cell lines (MRC-5 normal lung cells and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts) by MTT assay. The results indicate that four (BDHMFI, BDHFN, BMHMFI and BMHFN) are inactive and the other four (BDHFI, BDHAI, BMHFI and BMHAI) show severe toxicities against human A549 and mouse 4T1 cells, similar to the standard cisplatin. All the compounds exhibited weaker cytotoxicity against normal cells than cancer cells. The Swiss Target Prediction web server was applied for the prediction of protein targets. After analyzing the differences in frequency hits between these active and inactive Schiff bases, 18 probable targets were selected for reverse docking with the Surflex-dock function in SYBYL-X 2.0 software. Three target proteins, i.e. human ether-á-go-go-related (hERG) potassium channel, the inhibitor of apoptosis protein 3 and serine/threonine-protein kinase PIM1, were chosen as the targets. Finally, the ligand-based structure–activity relationships were analyzed based on the putative protein target (hERG) docking results, which will be used to design and synthesize novel hERG ion channel inhibitors.

Salinity is a critical abiotic stress, which significantly impacts the agricultural yield worldwide. Identification of the molecular mechanisms underlying the salt tolerance in euhalophyte Suaeda salsa is conducive to the development of salt-resistant crops. In the present study, high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed after S. salsa leaves were exposed to 300 mM NaCl for 7 days, and 7,753 unigenes were identified as differently expressed genes (DEGs) in S. salsa, including 3,638 increased and 4,115 decreased unigenes. Moreover, hundreds of pathways were predicted to participate in salt stress response in S. salsa by Gene Ontology (GO), MapMan and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, including ion transport and sequestration as well as photoprotection of photosystem (PS) II. The GO enrichment analysis indicated that genes related to ion transport, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and transcriptional factors were highly expressed upon NaCl treatment. The excessive Na+ and Cl− ions were supposed to be absorbed into the vacuole for ion sequestration and balance adjustment by potassium transporters (such as KEA3) with high expressions. Moreover, we predicted that mutiple candidate genes associated with photosynthesis (such as PSB33 and ABA4), ROS (such as TAU9 and PHI8) and transcriptional regulation (HB-7 and MYB78) pathways could mitigate salt stress-caused damage in S. salsa.